Target



D. l.. VAUGHAN 2,085,933

TARGET July 6, 1937.

Filed June 13, -1936 l N VEN TOR:

.Daz/d L. Vaughan,

TTORNE Paiented July 6, 1937 i I 2,085,933 l UNITED STATS ATENT orties TARGET David L. Vaughan, Montgomery Township, Somerset County, N. J.

Application June 13, 1936, Serial No. 85,028

4 Claims. (Cl. 124-15) This invention relates to improvements in tarards 7, 1 are adapted to be forced into the ground gets for use in marksmanship practice and comto hold the entire support in a vertical or uppetition. right position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel, The standards 1, 'I are connected by a suitable,

5 inexpensive and advantageous target comprising horizontal bar IE) having openings 9 extending a suitable support and a rotatable member havvertically therethrough near the respective ends ing an impact portion or portions constructed thereof. The standards-"l, 'l extend through and and arranged to receive the impact of a bullet are slidably tted within the openings 9, 9 of a or other projectile and to be rotated thereby. bar I which connects the standards. The bar u Another object is to construct and arrange the I@ rests upon the ground 8 and serves to mainl0 target member with relation to its supporting tain the lower end portions of the standards l, 'l shaft so that the member will automatically stop in proper spaced parallel relation while they in an upright position, presenting an impact porare being forced into the ground 8, and, theretion to a marksman, following the rotation of the after, the bar I assists in giving stability and l member. rigidity to the entire support. 15

Another object is to provide the target mem- A target member II is rotatably mounted on ber with two impact portions, and to construct the shaft 4. This member, preferably formed of and relate the parts of the member to one anmalleable cast iron, comprises two oppositelyother and to the supporting shaft so that each extending impact portions or wings I2 and I3 impact portion will counterbalance the other and and a central part or hub I4 connecting them. `@o serve to automatically stop the member in an The portions or wings I2 and I3 have opposite, upright position, presenting one of its impact broad impact surfaces I5, I5 and I6, I6, respecportions above its supporting shaft, following the tively, and they may be of any desired outline rotation of the member. suitable for their intended purpose.

Another object is to provide each impact por- The Width of the connecting part or hub I4 2"5 tion of the target member with a forward surface is substantially equal to the length ofthe shaft which is visually distinguishable from the for- 4, and it is provided with a slot Il which travward surface of the other, when the member is erses the hub I4 and extends lengthwise between in an upright position with either impact porthe impact portions or wings I2 and I3, as cleartion above the supporting shaft. ly shown in the drawing. The shaft 4 extends 30 Another object is to construct and relate the through the slot I'I and freely supports the target several parts of the target member and its supmember II in a manner to permit its free rotaport whereby various advantages are gained. tion thereon while the stops 5, 5 prevent lateral The invention resides in the novel construction, displacement of the member. The member II is combination and arrangement of the parts of the bodily movable on the shaft 4 longitudinally of target, as will be hereinafter described and the slot Il to bring either end wall of the slot claimed. into contact with the shaft, and the metal form- In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the ing the member II is so distributed that its center invention, of gravity is coincident with the center of the 40 Figure l is a front view of a target, illustratslot Il, or substantiallyiso. It will be under- 40 ing one form of embodiment of the invention. stood, therefore, that, as the impact portions or Figure 2 is a side View thereof. wings I2 and I3 of the member II successivelyr Figure 3 is a vertical section'on line 3--3 of rise above the horizontal plane of the shaft 4, Fig. 1. during the rotation of the member, the member Referring to the drawing, 2 designates a supwill have a bodily downward movement by gravity 45 port formed of a continuous stiff wire or rod of and end walls of the slot I'I will be successiveiron or steel and bent into the form illustrated ly brought into contact with the shaft until the in Fig. 1, and comprising a centrally disposed, momentum of rotation of the member spends horizontal shaft 4, upwardly and outwardly exitself, whereupon the counterbalancing effect of tending stops 5, 5 rising from the respective ends the impact portion or wing of the member II 50 of the stops, inclined spacing arms 6, 6, extending which is below the horizontal plane of the shaft downwardly and outwardly from the upper ends 4 will raise the other wing, and the member of the stops, and supporting standards l, 'I, ex- II will automatically stop or come to rest in the tending downwardly from the lower ends of the upright or vertical position with one of its wings arms 6, 6. The lower end portions of the stand- I2 or I3 above the other. 55

It is intended that the impact portion or wing of the member II which is in the upper position shall constitute the target proper, and, therefore, I finish the impact surfaces I5, I5 and IB, IB

5 of the wings I2 and I3, respectively, by painting or otherwise, so that the forward impact surface of each wing, when it is in the upper position, will not only be visually distinguishable from the forward surface of the companion wing, which is then in the lower position, but will also be of superior visibility as related thereto. This may be done by painting one surface I5 of the wing I2 white and the other surface I5 thereof black, and by painting one surface I6 of the wing I3 l5 white and the other surface I6 thereof black, in such relation that the upper wing will present a white forward surface and the lower wing will present a black forward surface, irrespective of which wing is in the upper position when the Z0 member II is at rest. y

When the target is in use and the upper wing of the member I I is struck by a bullet or other projectile, the impact of the projectile will cause the member to rotate, and the extent to which it will rotate will depend upon the force of the projectile striking the target, and also upon how near the place struck is to the supporting shaft 4. After the member II has been rotated or moved from its normal, vertical position, it will automatically be re-set therein, as previously described. While it is intended that the upper impact wing of the member II shall constitute the target proper, it will be understood that if the lower wing of the member should be struck by a projectile, when the target is in use, the impact of the projectile against the lower wing will cause the member to be rotated or moved from its normal, vertical position, and that when it is so moved it will automatically re-set itself. If desired, a suitable shield can be placed forwardly of the lower wing to prevent it from being struck.

I claim as my invention: 1. The combination of a member having two oppositely-extending targets and a central part connecting said targets and having a slot traversing said part and extending lengthwise between Ying said part and extending lengthwise between said targets, and a continuous, stiff wire forming 'a centrally arranged shaft, stops extending upwardly from the ends of the shaft, and supportl5 ing standards extending downwardly from the stops, said shaft extending through said slot and freely supporting said member, said member being rotatable on the shaft and being movable thereon longitudinally of the slot to bring either end wall 20 of the slot into contact with the shaft, and the center of gravity of said member being substantially coincident with the center of the slot.

3. A member comprising two oppositely-extending targets and a central part connecting said 25 targets and having a slot traversing said part and extendinglengthwise between said targets, the center of gravity of the member being substantially coincident with the center of the slot.

4. The combination of a member having two U0 oppositely-extending targets and a central part connecting said targets and having a slot traversing said part and extending lengthwise between said targets, and a shaft extending through said slot and freely supporting said member, said 35 member being rotatable on the shaft and being movable thereon longitudinally of the slot to bring either end wall of the slot into contact with the shaft, the center of gravity of said member being substantially coincident with the center of the .40 slot, and each target having a forward surface visually distinguishable from the forward surface of the other when the member is in an upright position with either target above the shaft.

45 DAVID L. VAUGHAN. 

